Brown to invoke spirit of blitz in new year message

Sunday, 28 December 2008 11:20 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

The prime minister will call on Britons to maintain a stiff upper lip to pass the test of the recession.

In his New Year message, Mr Brown will call on citizens to display the same spirit as in World War II to help the country recover from difficult economic times.

He will also express his commitment to take bold action to deal with the country's problems and to prevent the situation from worsening.

The prime minister is expected to tell the public: "Today the issues may be different, more complex, more global. And yet the qualities we need to meet them the British people have demonstrated in abundance before.

"So that we will eventually look back on the winter of 2008 as another great challenge that was thrown Britain's way, and that Britain met.

"Because we had the right values, the right policies, the right character to meet it."

Mr Brown is also expected to urge the British public to prove wrong those who feel Britain is "broken".

The prime minister will also express his enthusiasm for working with US president-elect Barack Obama to create a "global coalition for change".

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